One Peculiar Fever
by Vera The Awesome
Summary: Gazel comes down with a fever amidst a training with Fire Dragon. As Burn takes it upon himself to take care of his sick friend, they find out he's suffering a certain side effect from the Aliea meteorite as well... Burn/Gazel, one-shot.


**A/N: Aww yeaaah, another Chaos story~ I love these two so much. XD -heart- For those who actually check my "Upcoming stories" section, I know this one wasn't listed. It suddenly popped up in my head yesterday and I finished it today. I planned to make it a two-shot at first but I'm just leaving it as one whole chapter. Lucky you, no cliffhangers~ XD Enjoy, everyone!**

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><p>"Gazel! Pass the ball! Gazel!"<p>

Gazel opened his eyes after keeping them tightly closed for a moment. Where was he again? He glanced to the left and saw fellow players of Fire Dragon run along with him. Right, the team was training for an upcoming match. They were on the practice field, trying to score some goals. He shifted his eyes to his right and spotted his red-headed friend, who was sending him an impatient look. Burn was the one who just called out to him, as he was the only one to address him by his alien name. It was only then that Gazel remembered he was in possession of the ball.

He had been feeling unwell all day. He barely managed to leave his bed, had no appetite, and on the field, where he was supposed maintain focus, he struggled to keep his eyes open. Each time he blinked, Gazel wanted to keep them closed and lean over, waiting for his bed to catch him and let him sleep. He felt tired, he felt dizzy, and his vision had blurred enough to send the ball way off-course.

Burn let out a curse when the ball crossed the sideline and went to retrieve it. Frowning in guilt, Gazel averted his gaze from his friend and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked into the worried eyes of his other fellow forward.

"Suzuno, are you okay?" Aphrodi questioned. "You've seemed off since we started practice."

Gazel caught a few other players nodding in agreement behind the blonde's back. Their captain, Cho Chansu, looked at him with crossed arms and a serious frown, reminding him that he should get his act together. Wait, of course he did. What was he thinking, desiring a nap in the middle of practice? They were training for the Asian preliminaries, for God's sake. They were in line for the World Finals! Gazel didn't know what had come over him, but he wouldn't let it interfere with practice. They were going to win that match against Inazuma Japan and no stupid condition was going to prevent him from helping the team achieve that victory.

Gazel cleared his throat, cringed inwardly at the pain that motion caused and nodded woozily. "I'm okay. I just… I'm okay. Don't worry about me, Aphrodi."

Aphrodi's expression made any further words unnecessary. He didn't believe Gazel was okay at all. But when Cho told the others to proceed and Burn came back with the ball, he decided to leave it. If training became too much for Gazel, he would tell them.

He didn't. As much as he tried to concentrate, Gazel failed to keep up with his teammates and missed the ball each time it was passed to him. As time went on, his teammates transformed into red smudges and his heart felt like it was beating inside his head. The painful pounding increased until it became unbearable, and completely disoriented, Gazel let darkness consume his surroundings as he fell to the ground. After his head smacked against the field, he managed to pick up gasps and the shocked mention of his alien name before he blacked out completely.

* * *

><p>Gazel slowly opened his eyes as he awoke. The memory of Burn calling out to him was lingering in his subconscious, it being the first thing he remembered. Dizzily, he attempted to put the rest of the pieces together. It was daytime, a week before the Preliminaries… He had been training with his teammates… until he ultimately fainted. He was now lying in a bed, his own by the looks of it… Gazel then noticed how hot it was, at least to him; his forehead was covered in sweat. Every breath he took felt like a stab in the throat and his stomach was wiggling on the inside, eager send his food back up. His head was still pounding painfully, making him wish he could fall back asleep.<p>

But Gazel noticed he wasn't alone. A flash of red drew his attention and he turned his head, spotting a familiar face. Burn was sitting at his bedside with a worried expression, and taking in the tired look in his half-shut eyes, Gazel assumed he hadn't been unconscious for a mere few minutes.

"Bu… Burn," he whispered, and the name brought with it a cough that instantly snapped Burn out of his daze. He stared at his friend with wide eyes and moved closer.

"Gazel! You're awake… How are you feeling? Here, have some water."

Gazel was preoccupied with keeping his hands against his mouth, wishing that pestering cough away. His eyes were shut to prevent tears from going any further. This was a really nasty cough; it seemed to be nagging for as long as it could. He suddenly felt a hand on his back that pressed him into a sitting position, and when Gazel opened his eyes, a glass of water was hovering in front of his face.

"Th… thanks," he muttered. He felt an abrupt wave of disgust rise in his throat and instantly poured it back down with the water. Damn, he felt sick… He emptied the glass in a single draught and pushed it back into Burn's hand. He then sank into the pillow, his teeth gritted in the pain his wrestling stomach gave him. He wanted to rest… rest until this vexatious feeling washed away.

Burn placed the empty glass on Gazel's nightstand and brought a hand to his friend's forehead. He frowned at what he felt. "You have a high fever; you collapsed on the field about an hour ago," he explained when he saw the confusion in Gazel's weary eyes. He retracted his arm and sent the other boy a glare in disapproval. "Why didn't you tell me? You've been feeling like this all day, haven't you?"

Gazel tried to glare back, but the motion cost him too much effort and his eyebrows moved back up in an agonized scowl. "Can't… miss out… training…" he managed quietly. Some sort of cloud seemed to be floating through his brain, keeping him down at a level where he couldn't even form proper sentences.

Burn shook his head. "You idiot," he scolded. "You could've gotten rid of it if you stayed in bed this morning. Now you'll be bedridden for days."

Days? A sudden splurge of energy flew through his body as Gazel sat up, but two swift hands grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him back down. He looked into Burn's narrowed eyes and knew not to take him lightly when he hissed: "You can't possibly train in this condition. You shouldn't even get out of bed. The fever will only get worse if you move about, got that?"

Gazel nodded reluctantly. He disliked the fact that he had to just lie there and take Burn's scolding. The two of them had spent so many years bickering that his body practically itched to spit out a witty retort whenever the redhead criticized him. He exhaled a sigh and squeezed his eyes shut. As much as he hated to admit it, Burn was right. It had been foolish to underestimate his condition, thinking he could overcome it. Now he was stuck to his bed for God knows how many days, forced to miss out on important training.

Burn slowly released his shoulders and leaned back in the chair. When he saw his friend's eyes were closed, his features softened up and his lips curled into a worried frown. Gazel was a stubborn idiot, he wasn't going to deny that. He probably would've done the exact same thing his place. Still, he didn't like to speak so harshly to him when he was sick. Truth to be told, his heart was filled with concern for his friend. And it wasn't just concern… Whenever Burn bashed Gazel these days, it wasn't for the simple purpose of teasing him. He did it to hide a particular type of feelings… Feelings that made him blush and break out in sweat at all the wrong moments. Feelings that forced him to think of Gazel in a way he had never imagined doing, and now that he couldn't resist, loved doing. He loved Gazel. As a teammate, as a friend, and something much stronger than that. Like hell was he going to tell him that, though. As if an immense crush on his friend wasn't humiliating enough, Gazel would probably consider him a freak if he ever expressed what he truly felt. Rather than doing so, Burn had decided it would be wiser to suppress his feelings and keep the friendship the way it was.

He brought a hand to his cheek and widened his eyes when he felt how warm his skin was. Crap, just thinking about this problem made him blush. At least the colour in his cheeks wasn't as deep as the one in Gazel's. Still, if Burn could swap these irking feelings for a few days of heavy illness, he would do it in a heartbeat. He turned away his head to prevent Gazel from seeing his red face and muttered: "U-uh… You wanna sleep some more? I can leave you alone if you want."

Gazel nodded weakly. That was probably best. He was still very tired and the fact that Burn had probably been sitting by his side since he'd been put in bed made him feel guilty, as well as embarrassed. "No, I want you to stay."

The boys perked up in unison and locked eyes in a similar stare. What? Gazel wanted Burn to stay? The silver-haired boy blinked in confusion. He didn't want Burn to stay, he wanted him to leave.

"I—I mean, I want you to lea—stay! Please stay!" Gazel slapped his own mouth shut. The words had slipped out before he knew it. What was this? Why was he saying the exact opposite of what he was thinking?

Burn looked just as astonished. Gazel had just told him he wanted him to stay, twice. Why? He was sure he would want him to leave. Was his friend really in so much pain that he constantly needed a companion? Trying to force away the increasing blush in his cheeks, he awkwardly replied: "Okay, okay, I'll stay."

Gazel sent him a hopeless, almost desperate look. "N-no, no!" he stammered. He wanted him to leave! "Stay!" Leave! "Stay!" Go away! "Don't leave me alone!"

Their jaws dropped at the exact same time. Had he really just said that? What was going on?

Burn glanced to the side, not knowing what to fix his eyes on. It was one thing that his ex-rival practically begged him to remain by his side, but the fact that he was in love with this boy made the meaning behind his words so much deeper. He felt his heart pick up the pace and gulped nervously. "Uh, Gazel… Are you feeling alright?"

Gazel turned away his head as well. His illness wasn't the only cause of his blush at this point. What the hell was happening? Why couldn't he voice his actual thoughts, and was instead making an idiot out of himself? He wanted to tell Burn to leave, something he had done many times before. Leave. _Leave_. It was simple, so why was it so hard?

"… no… I'm not alright," he whispered, and he instantly wondered where those words came from. He wasn't going to insist that he was fine because that lie would be see-through, but the answer had escaped his lips before his mind even formed it. It was almost like someone else was speaking through him.

Burn flicked his eyes back to the other boy and saw the conflicted look on his face. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. Did Gazel want him to stay or not?

"… Gazel… what do you want…?" he asked slowly. He kept focus on Gazel's face and watched how the boy struggled inwardly. His mouth opened, shut, then opened again, indecisively. He looked like his body started living its own life, and if anything, especially lively in spite of his exhausting fever. What was going through that boy's mind?

"… I… I want-" Gazel covered his mouth again to interrupt his answer. Whatever was at the end of that sentence, it was something he absolutely refused to say to the redhead.

Burn never averted his gaze from his friend. The longer he watched him, the more he suspected that whatever was causing this odd behavior was not part of a normal disease. Gazel almost appeared possessed by an invisible person that was trying to force him to say things he didn't want to say. There was an indecipherable influence hanging around him… and a switch in Burn's mind suddenly flicked on, providing him with a possible explanation.

"Gazel…" he started lowly, and his fists clenched in determination on his lap. "… what is your real name?"

Gazel barely managed to look him in the eye before the answer flew out. "Suzuno Fuusuke."

Burn narrowed his eyes. Just as he suspected. "What do you think of Hiroto?"

"He's a selfish, arrogant bastard, and I want to kick him in the head with a soccerball." Gazel widened his eyes in shock. Where were these words coming from? He was usually too angered by the mere thought of his former superior to form a proper opinion on him, and now the answer was out before he could properly grasp it. This was exactly what he thought of Hiroto. The exact _truth_. Burn knew that too.

"Gazel…" The redhead leaned forward and folded his hands in front of his mouth. "… you didn't really stop wetting your bed at five, did you?"

"No, it stopped when I was sev-" Gazel slapped his mouth shut and felt the answer almost literally push against his palm, looking for a way out. He gaped at Burn with wide eyes and a deep blush. Never mind the fact that his friend started asking him these random questions out of nowhere; why was he forced to answer them, and truthfully to boot? He had lost total control of his choice of words.

To Gazel's surprise, Burn flashed him a sudden smile. It was clear to him now. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, and he got up before Gazel could say another word. Once he was at the other side of the bedroom door, Burn fished his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a number he usually went out of his way not to dial. He put the device on his ear and waited until a female voice answered. "Hitomiko-nee-san. Long time no hear."

"Nagumo… What a surprise." Hitomiko didn't sound too thrilled to speak to him either. The two of them never had managed to get along well. She was a nitpicker, he was a rebel. When Burn and Gazel still lived in Sun Garden, she would scold him often for the shenanigans he pulled. "Can I help you?"

"Gaze—I mean, Suzuno came down with a fever," Burn answered. "But I don't think that's all. He seems… He seems unable to lie. Or rather, forced to speak the truth. Could this be a side effect of…?"

"… the Aliea meteorite. There's no doubt about it," Hitomiko instantly agreed. Gazel wasn't the first to come forward with an aftereffect of the infamous meteorite that had granted him and most of the Aliea students tremendous power. The effects varied greatly; while some kids simply got sick, others became surprisingly smart or unusually forgetful. Whatever the issue, they usually stuck with their victims for a span of four days, give or take.

Burn couldn't help but grin again. Just as he thought. He and Gazel might not be using the power of the Aliea meteorite anymore, but it had somehow managed its way into his friend's mind and decided to mess with him. Or rather, given _him_ the chance to mess with him. Gazel had no choice but to tell him the truth now, he could ask him anything and he was forced to answer. He was going to have so much fun with thi—

"Don't even think about it, Nagumo," Hitomiko told him sharply. "I've known you longer than today. Let Suzuno wait out his sickness, it's probably tough on him as it is. Do not make it any worse, understand?"

Burn shot the wall a glare. That woman seemed capable of mind-reading sometimes. Were his thoughts being transferred through the phone or something? "Fine, fine," he grumbled. "I won't do anything. Thanks for the info. Bye." He clapped his cellphone shut and put it back in his pocket. He gazed ahead of himself for a moment, blankly, until a devious grin spread on his face.

"… good thing I can still lie."

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><p>When Burn re-entered the room, he was shocked to see Gazel sitting up again. As a matter of fact, his legs were dangling off the bed now. He seemed ready to get on his feet.<p>

"Gazel!" Burn rushed over and kept the boy down by his shoulders, sending him a cautious look. "What did I tell you?"

Gazel didn't look at him. His head hung low and his voice was barely audible when he muttered: "I need the bathroom… I feel sick…"

Oh. Darn. A private bathroom was one of the things Burn missed about his time in Aliea Academy. Now that they were part of a soccerteam that wasn't out to rule the world, albeit not in the wrong way, they had to share the toilet and shower with everyone else. Neither one of the boys minded all that much, but the toilet now was one floor down instead of a few meters away. Gazel looked like he was about to submit to the laws of gravity just sitting on his butt; he couldn't possibly make it on his own feet.

Burn decided he didn't have to. His hands slid to Gazel's back and thighs and lifted him in a swift movement. For one moment, he was about to tumble over as well, staggering under the weight of the other boy, but once he gained a firm balance, Burn managed to hold Gazel in his arms without a problem. As he started to walk, Gazel's eyes went wide and his hands clutched onto the fabric of Burn's uniform. He suddenly looked a lot more awake.

"B-Burn? What are you doing?" he stammered. His cheeks went red again, a sight Burn considered remarkably cute.

The redhead flashed him a grin and responded: "You need the bathroom. You're not gonna tell me you don't need help getting there."

"Y-you don't have to carry me!" Gazel protested. "Put me down!"

"I'm not putting you down," Burn said simply. "You'd fall like the clumsy ox you are right now."

Gazel sent him an indignant stare while the two left the bedroom. The fact that he was being carried, by Burn of all people, was humiliating enough, and now he was going to insult him too? His embarrassment, as well as the blush on his cheeks, was only fueled when they passed a few of their teammates, who rightfully raised an eyebrow at the unusual sight. Gazel turned away his head to avoid the judgmental stares he thought he saw, his face automatically lingering on Burn's chest. His cheeks were burning and he considered Burn lucky that he was as sick as a dog right now. He wouldn't let any of this crap fly if Burn tried to pull something like this while he was in health. Still, at the point where Burn reached the stairs and walked down… a sense of comfort came over Gazel. He had to admit it was nice to be carried, and cared for in the first place when he was in this condition.

The sick boy perked up when he heard a familiar voice call out to him: "Well, look at you. You look like a little bride. How are you feeling, Suzuno?"

He opened his eyes and saw Aphrodi approach them as he headed upwards. The smile on his face was clearly torn between expressing concern and amusement at his friend's current position.

Gazel shot him a glare. He wanted to say he was fine, just to shut the blonde up, but his mouth was once again ahead of him and answered: "I feel like crap." His expression immediately softened up. Right, that weird… thing was still there. The thing that forced him to speak the truth. He looked up at Burn, who sent a grin Aphrodi's way. Gazel narrowed his eyes. Did he know something he didn't…?

The blonde boy smiled sympathetically, unaware of the fact that his fever wasn't the only thing Gazel was fighting, and replied: "I'm sorry. Get better soon, Suzuno."

"Thanks…" Gazel muttered. He shut his eyes when Aphrodi passed them and an orchid-like odor filled his nose. He sniffed, coughed and felt his breakfast struggle to come up. His eyes went wide; he needed the bathroom fast. "Burn…!"

Burn lowered his head and saw Gazel's red face turn green. "R-right!" He leaped across the last few steps and ran the rest of his way to the bathroom. Once they reached the door, he carefully let Gazel slide back on his feet, but he needed to hold onto the boy's shoulders to prevent him falling. The grin from just now had made room for a worried frown. "Will you be okay, Gazel?"

Gazel pushed his hands off and nodded wearily. "I'll be… right back…" Burn watched him as he entered the small room and locked the door. He cringed when a puking noise filled his ears almost the very next moment. Good thing he had hurried.

It took Gazel a few minutes before he emerged from the bathroom. The green on his cheeks had vanished and his face now looked as pale as a sheet. His eyes were half-closed and he looked ready to fall head-first to the floor. Burn instantly gripped his shoulders again to keep him up. "Feel better…?" he asked carefully.

Gazel nodded once more, a little more convincingly than a moment ago. "Yeah," he whispered, and the little word comforted Burn instantly. He normally would've wondered if that answer was really the truth, but the advantage of this particular disease was that he didn't have to. He could be sure Gazel was feeling better, and that one fact was enough to bring a smile to his face.

"I'm glad," he replied softly. "Come on, let's go back to your room."

Gazel didn't protest when Burn picked him up again. He let himself sink in the other boy's arms and shut his eyes, feeling tiredness overwhelm him. Now that he no longer felt sick, he merely desired to sleep. He longed to know what was wrong with him to suddenly appear incapable of lying, but he was sure it could wait a while longer… No one was going to ask him questions in his sleep anyway.

Once they returned to Gazel's room, Burn saw his friend had dozed off on their way back. He flashed a warm smile as he placed him back on his bed and pulled the blanket over him. He sank into his chair, watching the child-like, vulnerable face that eased up more every minute and eventually conveyed Gazel's comfortable slumber. His face regained colour and he looked a lot less restless than before, which soothed Burn. He thought about his friend's other little problem and instantly knew he didn't have the heart to torture him with embarrassing questions. Hitomiko was right; letting Gazel get back to health was the top priority right now.

Burn exhaled a sigh and decided he could afford to leave Gazel alone for a while. He looked like he was going to be asleep for a good couple of hours. His cellphone lay right on the nightstand; if he needed anyone, he could easily call them.

Just as Burn got up, a weak voice entered his ears and made him turn to the bed. Had he imagined it…? No, there it was again. He saw Gazel's lips move. He was talking in his sleep… mumbling something… Burn's name.

"Burn… Burn…" Gazel chanted quietly, and Burn felt grateful that he was asleep and thus unable to see his cheeks flame up. He had never heard Gazel talk in his sleep before, and the fact that he apparently occupied a big enough part of the boy's subconscious to be mentioned in his sleep made his heart skip a beat.

… was he going to say more? Hesitantly, Burn scooted back to the bedside. Was Gazel just dreaming, or was his mind present enough to pick up words from the outside world?

"Gazel…" Burn said softly. "… can you hear me?" His eyes widened when Gazel muttered an instant "yes". Did this mean he could say anything and Gazel would answer him? And, seeing as he was suffering from a certain side effect… truthfully? At this rate, Burn could ask him questions even he was embarrassed to bring up, and Gazel wouldn't even know it.

His heart sped up. Burn almost immediately knew what he wanted to ask. There were many subjects he would like to tease Gazel with while he was awake, but there was only one topic he dared addressing when his friend wasn't conscious. Sure, it would reduce him to a girl, but the perfection of this situation much too tempting. Burn wouldn't get another chance like this… so he decided to go for it.

"Gazel…" he whispered, and his hands balled into fists as they pushed against his thighs. "… is there somebody that you love?"

"Yes," Gazel repeated without even the slightest hint of hesitation. At least he wasn't awake enough to become aware of what he was saying, much to Burn's relief.

"Who?" he asked eagerly, but he frowned in disappointment when the other boy answered: "My parents… my teammates… Father…"

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that," he replied out loud. He was actually getting a little impatient; he _had _to know this. "Gazel. Is there somebody you're _in __love_ with?"

"Yes," Gazel said once again, and Burn's heart made a little jump. Gazel was in love with someone! When he thought about it, he was actually rather surprised. Gazel wasn't one to often express affection, even when it was purely platonic. Hearing him admit that he possessed romantic feelings made him even more excited, so much so that his fists started clenching sweat.

"Who? Who?" he inquired hurriedly. This was it: he was about to receive the answer that nearly made him jump out of his chair. This was the moment he would find out if his feelings would always remain unanswered.

The room was dead silent after the name had been uttered. One single name put a stop to Burn's train of thought, while it sent his heart racing at the same time. In fact, it felt like it was dancing through his entire chest. It was him… Gazel had replied with his name. He was in love with him.

Burn shut his eyes and slapped his cheeks. This downright felt like a dream. It was suddenly so quiet that he started to doubt if he had actually heard right, and had instead thought to have picked up his own name due to wishful thinking.

"… c-come again...?" he whispered, his eyes big and hopeful.

"Burn," Gazel repeated, just as blankly as before. It was a pity that he was currently in a deep sleep; all Burn wanted to do at this very moment was to wrap his arms around him. He felt happy, so very happy all of a sudden. There was no mistaking it; the one Gazel loved was him. A part of him refused to believe it out of sheer shock, while the other almost got him bouncing through the room. Even in his sleep, Gazel had no choice but to speak the truth, and the truth had never made Burn as happy as it did now. He wanted to hug Gazel, kiss him, shout out his own feelings to him, and that made his self-restraint all the harder to control. Suddenly, Burn couldn't wait for Gazel to wake back up. He wanted to address this matter as fast as possible, even if that gave away what he had done to his friend while he was asleep. It didn't matter, nothing did; only they mattered.

But wait… What if Gazel wasn't aware of his feelings? Ever since he'd been infected with the side effect of the Aliea meteorite, his body had acted on his own, spitting words Gazel barely had time to progress. What if he spoke the truth even about things he wasn't totally aware of? If that was the case, bringing up something as intense as romantic feelings housing in his heart of ice while suffering a high fever was probably a less than good idea.

Burn's heart stopped skipping about as the redhead calmed down. He wanted to talk about this, he was definitely going to… but not today. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't put even more pressure on his friend by harassing him about something that was sure to change their friendship. Burn decided it was best to wait until Gazel was healthy again… but that didn't take away the happiness inside of him. He was reluctant to wait, but just knowing his feelings weren't in vain spread a lopsided smile across his face.

"I love you too, Gazel," he whispered, and he leaned closer to the other boy. After brushing his bangs aside, he placed a soft kiss on Gazel's forehead. When he pulled back, the sheepish smile was still present on his unusually chirpy face. It was practically stuck now.

Burn lingered a few extra minutes in Gazel's room, simply taking in the sight of the sleeping boy. He had lost the urge to pester Gazel with any more questions, whether he was awake or asleep, whether they were embarrassing or not. The most important query had been answered, and it fulfilled him more than he had hoped for, so much more. Burn hesitated, but then added another kiss on Gazel's cheek, before he finally got up and left the room to let the other boy sleep in peace.

* * *

><p>Gazel was in luck; he managed to recover in the short span of three days. After the first day, he was able to take care of himself again, no longer requiring help to stand or move about. Once he had regained complete health, he happily joined his teammates in practice again. Along with his sickness, the peculiar phenomenon that liked forcing the truth out of him had disappeared. Gazel hadn't forgotten about it, but figured it was simply part of his fever and decided worrying about it was no longer necessary. After all, he had managed to avoid truly embarrassing questions… or so he thought.<p>

For the past few days, Burn had been surprisingly cheerful, and he only seemed happier upon seeing Gazel return to the field. Everybody noticed it, but nobody understood it. Whenever they made a mistake in front of his nose, Burn would tell them it was fine and advice them how to improve, all the while with a smile on his face. His temper seemed far pressed to the back, if it was even present at all. The boy was so optimistic that it actually scared the others a little.

Gazel soon noticed Burn's strange mood as well, and even started to think he might be the cause. Whenever it was him Burn talked to, the never-ending smile on his face spread just a little, only enough for him to see. At first, Gazel suspected Burn had somehow pulled a prank on him, or was planning to. That was usually the reason for the redhead to be especially happy in regards to him. But this time, he appeared purely happy without any hidden agendas. Gazel couldn't deny that his curiosity rose each time Burn looked at him and his golden eyes lit up a bit; if he had caused whatever made Burn this cheerful, he would love to know. Gazel decided to ask him once practice was over.

"Fire…"

"… Blizzard!"

The soccerball hit the corner of the goal in a flash, engulfed in red and blue flames. The duo of fire and ice landed on the field and grinned proudly as their teammates cheered them on. Jo Jung-Soo, the Fire Dragon goalkeeper, flashed an awkward smile as he picked up the ball. He had managed to stop the combined shoot of these two only a few times before; Burn and Gazel had clearly improved on this hissatsu technique since they joined the team.

The boys turned in unison and returned to their place on the field. Aphrodi approached them and held up his hands, waiting for his friends to high-five him.

"That was an excellent shoot, you two," he complimented with a smile.

Cho nodded in agreement. "It's impressive how you've fired up. With your help, the dragon will surely rule the field," he commented.

Burn and Gazel nodded in respect. "Thank you," they replied in sync. They sent each other a happy grin and high-fived each other as well. It felt great having a place on this team, as well as the chance to power up both individually and with their fellow ex-captain.

After another hour or training, Cho wrapped things up and assigned Burn and Gazel to stack away the balls. As the team left the field for a quick shower, Gazel decided now would be a good moment to inquire about Burn's mood. They were completely alone and unlikely to be disturbed.

But just as he opened his mouth, Burn looked at him and spoke up: "Hey, Gazel. Remember a few days ago? When you were unable to lie?"

Gazel raised his eyebrows. Did Burn's chirpy mood have to do with that occurrence after all? But why, he hadn't revealed anything Burn could take advantage of, let alone get so happy about.

"Yeah, why?"

Burn flashed him a grin. "It was because of the Aliea meteorite. You know how some others got infected by these weird, temporary habits? That was yours."

Gazel's jaw dropped. Seriously? "Why didn't you tell me?"

Burn shrugged. "I wanted to. I wasn't going to hide it or anything. Actually, I was about to tell you but you needed to throw up, remember?"

Gazel remembered. He also remembered his particular journey to the bathroom in order to empty his stomach. Recalling the memory of Burn's warm arms and soft chest sent a blush across his face, something he didn't fully understand. He had been too tired back then to really think about it, but when he did so now, he realized he enjoyed Burn's touch. He enjoyed Burn as a whole; seeing him smile, hearing him speak, clapping his hand against his. When did his feelings change like this? It was like he viewed Burn entirely in a new light. Was it because Burn had been so caring while he was sick? But Aphrodi would've done the same thing, right? Still, Burn being the one to carry him around and stay by his side… meant something to him in a completely different manner from anyone else in his place.

"… Gazel?"

"Huh?" Gazel shook his head out of the clouds and realized he hadn't answered Burn's question. "—oh, uh, yeah, I remember. Why?"

Burn started bouncing a ball in the air with his hand repeatedly, suddenly looking suspiciously innocent. "Well… You fell asleep right after that. I brought you back to bed, and… you talked in your sleep."

Crap. He did? Gazel's eyes went big; he had no recollection of this whatsoever. "I—what? What did I say?"

"Just my name," Burn grinned, using a tone that made it seem like it was the most natural thing in the world. "But you answered me when I called out to you. So I… decided to ask you something."

Wrinkles of worry appeared on Gazel's forehead. It felt like they were slowly nearing the solution for Burn's odd behavior, and the fact that it really did appear to lie in him didn't make him feel any better. He tensed up as he stammered: "W-what did you ask?"

"… I asked…" Burn caught the ball and held it in both his hands, observing it as he spoke. "… I asked if you were in love."

Gazel thought his chin hit the field. "You did WHAT?"

"I was curious!" Burn defended himself, holding up his hands and letting the ball fall on the ground. "You could only speak the truth, and you were totally asleep! Be glad I didn't ask anything more embarrassing."

Gazel could think of very few things that were more embarrassing than that. His cheeks were crimson at this point. He avoided eye contact, staring at the ground as he started fumbling his hands. Was he in love? He wasn't even sure himself, he had never thought about it. That was the truth… so that was what he had told Burn, right? That he didn't know, or wasn't sure, or—

"… me. You said you're in love with me," Burn whispered.

His heart stopped beating. His brain stopped thinking. His blood stopped pumping. For one vast moment, Gazel was completely frozen. When the wheels in his head started turning again, they moved so fast they were at the verge of causing a blackout. He was in love with Burn? He had actually spoken those words? Was this why he possessed these indescribable feelings towards his friend? Was this why he liked Burn so much? Was he in love with him? If he was… why was Burn so happy about that? He couldn't possible return something as pathetic as—

"—Gazel." When the silver-haired boy lifted his head, he suddenly found Burn right in front of him. He wanted to back away to create a comfortable distance, but Burn gently grabbed his upper arms and kept him in place. Gazel looked straight into his eyes, seeing flames dance inside his irises as always. Burn looked straight back and flashed a surprising smile, as if he was trying to tell him not to worry.

"… I… I feel the same," he confessed quietly. "I wanted to tell you right then and there, but you were ill, and asleep on top of that, so…"

Gazel's mouth fell open for the third time. Had Burn, _the_ Burn, the proud ex-captain of Prominence just told him he loved him? Was something clogging up his ears? There had to be, right? He didn't hear right. There was no way this was happening for real. No way Burn was sending him that warm smile, no way that repeating those words in his mind made him as happy as it did.

… there was. It was all real. By the time Gazel realized this, Burn moved even closer and locked him in a tight embrace. Gazel froze a second time and his face turned dark-red. This hug confirmed it all. Everything Burn had just told him was real. Gazel's confession as well as his own. They were in love with each other… This was really happening.

Barely able to comprehend all of this, Gazel brought his trembling arms to Burn's back and returned the hug. His heart was racing inside his chest, almost as if to tell him that the boy he was holding was the one he loved. It felt so odd, and yet so right. Burn and Gazel had known each other for years; their friendship evolving into love wasn't something completely unthought of, even if it managed to completely faze him. Gazel shut his eyes and rested his chin on Burn's shoulder. As strange as it felt, as much as it embarrassed him, he started to accept it. He accepted his feelings for Burn, and more importantly, Burn's feelings for him. Everything would change from this point on, and Gazel embraced whatever might appear on their entwined paths.

Burn eventually pulled out of the hug and Gazel saw that soft smile was still present on his face. This caused him to smile as well, until the redhead suddenly moved closer again. This time, his face was aimed right for his, and not even a second later, their lips pressed together softly. To his own surprise, Gazel felt his body respond all over to the kiss. It pleased him, excited him, made him deepen the lip-lock as he placed his hands on Burn's cheeks. In return, Burn rested his own hands on Gazel's shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the kiss he had desired for so long.

When the two pulled apart, they once again greeted each other with a sheepish smile. Neither Burn nor Gazel really knew what to say at the moment. All they knew was that what they had just done couldn't possibly be a mistake. How could it be when they both enjoyed it so, when they only wanted more of it?

Ultimately, Gazel broke the silence with a soft poke on Burn's chest. "Don't _ever_ take advantage of me again," he ordered, but the playfulness was clearly visible in his teal eyes.

Burn grinned happily and pushed their foreheads together, keeping eye contact with the other boy. "Wouldn't dream of it," he responded in a whisper. He swiftly poked Gazel back on the nose and added: "Come on, let's go take a shower. We're covered in sweat."

Gazel nodded in agreement and the boys quickly finished stacking up the balls. Once they made their way off the field, they linked their hands together and sent each other a loving smile. Something told them they were going to enjoy this shower more than usual.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's the end! I know the one major "flaw" in this one is that FFI starts three months after the Aliea fiasco, so having Gazel suffer from a side effect with such a large gap in-between is probably a little far-fetched. Ah well, who cares. I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! As always, please leave a review, it means a lot! - chu-**


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